Thorne ratepayers had access to the Shawville-Clarendon Library until earlier this year, when council voted not to continue with the service due to costs associated with continuing to use the facility.

“When we approached them, all of a sudden it went [ . . . ] to $10,000 because they needed updating,” said Thorne mayor Karen Daly Kelly.

Thorne, which had been using the Shawville-Clarendon Library for at least 13 years, voted at its March council meeting to pursue the municipality’s own community library.

As a result, Thorne did not pay its fee, an amount Shawville mayor Bill McCleary said the library needs for normal maintenance. “We felt all who use should share costs,” he said.

Thorne director general Jessica Ménard wrote in an email that council hopes a new library in Thorne will be more cost-effective compared to the previous arrangement.

“Our council felt that this amount was too high and made the decision to invest at lower cost into creating a local library that will directly serve our community,” she wrote.

“The new Thorne library will be integrated into the Réseau BIBLIO, giving residents online access to a wide selection of books and resources. Council is also exploring opportunities to host community activities and events through the library, making it not only a space for reading but also a place for gathering and learning.”

A group of volunteers in Thorne, including some councillors and industrious community members, have been working to transform the space into a library. They have received thousands of books already, sorting and alphabetizing them on the shelves.

Kelly said she is grateful for the many community donations, since the municipality did not budget for costs associated with operating a library and is thus working with limited money to get it started.

“Our budget has been rather low because of different costs for the fire department, so it makes a difference as to what we can do,” she said, adding that councillors are working with donated materials to get the library up and going.

While this work is being completed, the 60 or so Thorne users who previously accessed the Shawville-Clarendon Library are no longer able to do so, and must wait for Thorne to open its own.

“It probably won’t be in full use until the beginning of next year,” said Kelly, citing building updates as needed before opening to the public.

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